Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.), commanding officer of the USS Cole when it was attacked by al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen, stopped by the Recreation Vehicle Dealer Association (RVDA) headquarters in Fairfax, Va., on Sept. 14.

According to a press release, Lippold was in the Washington area for media appearances, where he analyzed the recent uprisings in the Middle East and discussed his new book “Front Burner.” Lippold will sign copies of the book, which describes his efforts to prevent the Cole from sinking after the attack which killed 17 crew members, at the upcoming RV Dealers International Convention/Expo. Books will be available for purchase on Oct. 2 at the reception in the Expo at the Diversified Insurance booth, No. 411.

Lippold and his crew distinguished themselves by saving the American war ship from sinking during one of al Qaeda’s most brazen acts of terrorism prior to Sept. 11, 2001.

For complete details on the RV Dealers International Convention/Expo, visit www.rvda.org.